Korean word

선생님

Pronunciation

Romanizationseonsaengnim

Meaning

  • nounteacher

Example

저는 선생님이에요.cheo neun seon saeng ni mi e yo

I am a teacher.

Illustration for 선생님 (teacher)

More examples

수업 후에 선생님께 질문했어요.su eop hu e seon saeng nim kke chil mun hae sseo yo

I asked the teacher a question after class.

Core concept

A person viewed with respect because they teach and guide learners.

Common phrases

  • 선생님께 질문하다seon saeng nim kke chil mun ha da

    ask the teacher a question

  • 선생님의 수업seon saeng ni mui su eop

    the teacher's lesson

  • 선생님을 존경하다seon saeng ni meul chon gyeong ha da

    respect the teacher

Similar words

교사kyosa: A teacher with an official role at a school who leads regular classes.
강사kangsa: An instructor who explains skills or information in a course or training program.
교수kyosu: A university academic who teaches students and conducts research.

Definition in Korean

학교나 학원 등에서 학생을 가르치는 사람이나 가르치는 역할을 하는 사람을 높여 이르는 말.hak kkyo na ha gwon teung e seo hak ssaeng eul ka reu chi neun sa ra mi na ka reu chi neun yeo ka reul ha neun sa ra meul no pyeo i reu neun mal

Word origin

The word combines 선생 (seonsaeng, "teacher") with the respectful suffix 님 (nim, "honorific suffix"), while 선생 originally referred to someone born earlier and later came to mean a teacher.

Usage tips

  • 선생님 (seonsaengnim, "teacher") can refer to an individual instructor outside school, such as a piano teacher or private tutor.

Other meanings

  • instructornoun

Word lists with this word